Terrence Jones was shooting an average of 64-percent from the free-throw line in the first three games of the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between his TNT KaTropa and the San Miguel Beermen.
But come Game Four Sunday night, the former NBA cager struggled to convert from the charity stripe.
Jones made just six of the 16 shots he earned. That poor shooting proved costly for the KaTropa, as they lost, 101-106, tying the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
His horrid shooting was a blemish on his otherwise stellar performance in which he had 32 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, and six steals. But for TNT consultant Mark Dickel, it’s not that big of a deal.
“There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s either he’s gonna make them or not. He’s more than capable of making them so it’s not such a big deal,” said the New Zealander moments after the loss.
Still, Dickel doesn’t blame anything in particular for the loss; instead, he simply credits their opposition – especially the Beermen’s 1-2 punch of Chris McCullough and June Mar Fajardo – for playing a good game.
McCullough had 27 points and 22 rebounds, while Fajardo had 22 markers and seven boards. The two joined hands down the stretch to douse cold water on TNT’s rally from 15 points down.
“They just made the plays. They just played well. And credit to them – they were desperate and they played well.
“I thought McCullough had a good game, and they gave us some different issues to deal with tonight. June Mar sealing early and stuff like that, so they played well,” Dickel said.
Now, the series has now been reduced to a virtual best-of-three. Dickel hopes that they can come up with adjustments in Game Five on Wednesday as they aim to close in on the title.
“When we make a lot of shots, we’re pretty tough. And tonight, we didn’t make as many shots so the defense obviously looks better when you miss,” he said, as TNT shot 41 percent from the field. “So, you know, for us we just got to get fresh, find a way to come back on Wednesday, and make a series.
It’s best-of-three now, so may the best team win.”
